The project to revive the Opel Calibra to the delight of Opel/Vauxhall fans looks like it could be a reality, with the guys at Autoblog.nl apparently getting their hands on internal Opel documents which state that the Calibra could appear at the beginning of 2013. The rumours of a Calibra coupé revival have been continuing since the Opel Insignia first debuted and if this report is correct, those rumours just became reality.

According to the Dutch blog, the pre-production phase will start in 2012 and the link to the sedan model will be a close one. The Calibra will be built on the Insignia platform, components will be shared and even some of the engine technology will be carried across. The Calibra will therefore be offered with either front or all-wheel drive, with the latter likely to be reserved for higher performance models.

In the Opel document, there is also talk of the Calibra’s target market and commercial goals. At this stage, a sales figure of 14,000 units a year has been mentioned. The Opel Concept GTC from the 2007 Geneva Motor Show will come into play as a design inspiration, as will the Flextreme GT-E from last year’s Geneva event.

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Opel-Vauxhall CEO Nick Reilly has confirmed that the Opel Calibra will be back as an Insignia-based coupé model. He says it will be inspired by the 2007 GTC Concept although there was no word on this year’s Opel GTC Concept. It was more of a hatch model which could remain in concept phase apart from a few elements borrowed to kit out the new Opel Astra GTC.

The original Calibra was killed off in 1997 and while Reilly hasn’t revealed any concrete production plans, it looks like the new Calibra will be the spiritual heir to the previous model. Mostly turbocharged engines will probably be used although a VXR version could build on the 320 hp of the original 2.8-litre V6 turbo.

The top-of-the-range future Calibra could have four-wheel-drive like its predecessor, although we’re hoping that if Opel doesn’t go overboard with this, we could have a fantastic Opel coupé in the line-up. Reilly says the new, direct-injection petrol engine range offers a mix of economy and power, meaning that optional extras could flesh out the model for more hard core users while others get accessible engine options.

Opel Calibra vintage pics

Continue reading: Opel Calibra back as Insignia coupe model

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